


Kiss Me, For A Friend

by Katyakora



Series: Coldwestallen Week [13]
Category: DC's Legends of Tomorrow (TV), The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: ColdWestAllen Week, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Matchmaking, Multi, Sky High AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-14
Updated: 2017-05-14
Packaged: 2018-10-31 16:21:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,963
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10903020
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Katyakora/pseuds/Katyakora
Summary: When their friends needed a little push, Iris and Leonard went above and beyond, and then some.





	Kiss Me, For A Friend

**Author's Note:**

> Coldwestallen Week Day 6: Charity
> 
> Woohoo Sky High AU!
> 
> Where everyone is a high schooler with superpowers. That's it, that's the movie.

It started with Mick Rory. There was something of an unspoken rule at Sky High that those with villains for parents generally avoided the heroes’ kids, and vice versa. So Iris was understandably surprised to see Mick, of all people, stopping in the hallway to help Caitlin when she dropped her folder. She watched, along with everyone else in the area, as Caitlin gasped a little when she looked up to see Mick kneeling next to her, patiently holding out her xenobiology notes with a blank expression on his face. Their fingers brushed ever so slightly as she accepted them and a small curl of steam rose between the two elemental metahumans. They held each other’s gaze for a split second before Mick abruptly stood and stomped off down the hall, glaring at anyone in his path. Unfortunately for him, his scowl wasn’t enough to deter Iris and she didn’t miss the light pink blush on his cheeks. Grinning, Iris hurried over to her friend, who was watching Mick walk away with a confused smile on her face.

 

“Damn, Girl!” Iris exclaimed. “I always knew you had it in you.”

 

“I...uh, sorry, what?” Caitlin asked, shaking herself out of her daze.

 

“You just had the prickliest, most standoffish guy I have ever encountered in my life making eyes at you,” Iris clarified in a tone of disbelief. Caitlin fell into step with her as they headed for their next class.

 

“What? No, no he was not making eyes at me,” Caitlin brushed her off with faux-nonchalance belied by her blush. “He, he was just being nice.”

 

“Caitlin, Mick Rory is not nice. Not even to the other Rogues.” The Rogues was the campus nickname for all the villains’ kids, who tended to band together and generally caused trouble. Mick was himself the best friend of the group’s unofficial leader, Leonard Snart.

 

“Maybe he’s not as mean as everyone seems to think?” Caitlin suggested with shrug, her forced air of innocence entirely transparent to her shrewd friend. “I mean, sure, he’s a little gruff. Maybe he just takes time to warm up to people?”

 

“And he’s suddenly warmed up to you. Which is funny, because the last time I checked, you two haven’t ever even spoken outside of class…” Iris trailed off, looking at Caitlin pointedly.

 

“I...we...it was one time!” Caitlin finally caved, babbling guiltily. “I saw him in the back of the library, he was getting frustrated over last week’s history assignment, and it looked like the books might end up on fire if I didn’t intervene and I totally get why he was annoyed because all the resource materials are all totally biased towards the heroes’ perspective despite the fact that many of the villains at the Battle of Atlas Isle had legitimate grievances-”

 

“Caitlin, breathe,” Iris commanded calmly with gentle hands on her friend’s shoulders. Caitlin did as she was told, taking a deep breath before she carried on.

 

“All I did was cool the room down and ask if he wanted any help. He said no, but then he started complaining, well, ranting really, about the unfair bias so I offered to lend him that book Mom had that actually included the villains’ accounts of what happened.” She paused, a soft smile on her lips. “He was kind of speechless after that.”

 

Iris smiled at her friend, who was likely entirely oblivious to how smitten she looked. “Looks like you made an impression,” she teased, nudging her with her shoulder.

 

“I was just nice,” Caitlin downplayed. “Just because his parents were villains doesn’t mean he doesn’t deserve common courtesy.”

 

“I hear that,” Iris said with feeling. Her own mother’s descent into villainy was well  known, and if it wasn’t for her father’s incredible record as a hero, Iris likely would have ended up one of the Rogues, shunned by everyone else. “And I’m not judging. If anything, I’m happy. Maybe if people see him being nice to you, more people will start to realise that the Rogues shouldn’t be punished just for being their parent’s kids.”

 

Caitlin arched a sly eyebrow at her friend. “Careful, Iris, your crush is showing.”

 

“For the last time, I do not have a crush on Leonard Snart,” Iris snapped back hotly.

 

“You said, and I quote; ‘he’s really hot for a guy with ice powers’,” Caitlin pointed out, a teasing smirk on her blue lips.

 

“Appreciating a person’s looks does not equal a crush! And stop trying to change the subject, we were talking about Mick liking you.”

 

“I wasn’t trying to change the subject,” Caitlin denied with poorly feigned innocence. Iris gave her a disdainful look.

 

“I’d know that was a lie even if I wasn’t a human lie detector.”

 

“Okay, so he was nice to me. Once. In return for me being nice to him. That doesn’t mean that he likes me,” Caitlin insisted as the walked into the mad science lab. Iris let the subject drop as Cisco greeted them from his seat.

 

If it hadn’t been for their conversation and what she had witnessed earlier that day, Iris wouldn’t have been paying attention enough to notice. She hadn’t taken her seat yet and was instead leaning over Cisco’s shoulder as he showed her some of the new suit designs he was working on, regardless of the fact that none of them would be donning a cowl until they had graduated. She straightened up in time to see Mick and Leonard enter the room, and thus saw Mick’s eyes fall on Caitlin as he stuttered to a halt in the doorway. Until that moment, Iris hadn’t thought it was possible for the tall pyrokinetic to look nervous. Leonard just shook his head sadly in the face of his friend’s anxiety and gave him a shove further into the room. He responded to his friend's glare by jerking his head pointedly to the seat next to Caitlin that was usually Iris’s. After receiving another shove, Mick set his face into his customary scowl and stomped over to their table and dropped down into the empty seat without a word. Caitlin and Cisco looked up in surprise at the sudden arrival, but Mick didn’t show them any attention, he just busied himself setting his books out. Leonard sat in the empty table in front of theirs.

 

“Hey. Dude,” Cisco piped up, once he got over his surprise. Mick turned his perpetually grumpy gaze on him. “That’s Iris’s seat.”

 

“It’s fine,” Iris said hurriedly, slipping into the empty seat next to Leonard. He glanced up at her, but otherwise didn’t react. Cisco frowned at her and then side-eyed Mick, but otherwise let it drop. Mick finally met Caitlin’s eye, clearing his throat nervously.

 

“Hey.”

 

“Hi,” she answered with a shy little smile of her own. Iris turned her attention back to the front of the room with a smirk, seeing Leonard do much the same thing out of the corner of her eye. For just a moment, they shared a look of amused camaraderie at their friends’ awkwardness.

 

A red blur flew into the room just as the last bell rang. Barry flashed into the empty seat next to Iris, grinning over not being late for once, even if it was by the barest margin. His grin fell away to blatant confusion once he saw who was sitting at their tables. Iris gave him a reassuring smile, knowing he’d trust her that it was okay. He looked sceptical, but didn’t say anything.

* * *

“We need to talk,” Leonard stated bluntly as he parked himself across from Iris and Barry at their table in the library.

 

“We...do?” Barry questioned, utterly perturbed by both the fact that Leonard was interacting with them and the knowing look on Iris’s face.

 

“Mick and Caitlin?” she guessed, sporting a smirk that eerily matched Snart’s.

 

“Mick and Caitlin,” Leonard confirmed.

 

“Wait, what about Mick and Caitlin?”

 

They both turned incredulous looks on him. Barry got the distinct impression that he was outnumbered right now, despite sitting next to his oldest friend.

 

“Really, Allen? Is your secondary superpower convincing everyone you’re not blind?” Snart drawled. Barry ignored the sting he felt at the derisive comment, refusing to let the other boy get under his skin.

 

“Hey, don’t be an ass,” Iris snapped. “These things aren’t obvious to everybody.”

 

“Clearly.” For just a moment, something shuttered behind his eyes. Barry let his perception slow, drawing out the second so he could decipher it. There was resignation, the ache of an old wound not quite healed, but as soon as Barry let go of his speed the look was gone, replaced by Snart’s ever-present cool and calculated mask.

 

“Mick likes Caitlin,” Iris explained, and suddenly their new seating arrangements in the mad science lab made sense.

 

“If you ask me, he’s taking the whole ‘opposites attract thing’ to the extreme, but, well, it’s Mick. He’s an all or nothing kind of guy.” His eyes narrowed and he leant forward on his elbows, menace bleeding into his bearing. “Which brings me to reason we’re having this little chat.”

 

“Oh, there’s a point? I just thought you wanted to gossip,” Barry remarked snidely.

 

“I’ll join your knitting circle some other time, Scarlet,” Snart drawled back sarcastically without missing a beat. “Right now, I need to know where your girl Caitlin stands so I know whether or not I’ll be spending the next week extinguishing fires or giving dating advice.”

 

“What makes you think we know?” Barry asked.

 

“Oh, just the fact that you’re all close friends and that West here can smell a lie at a thousand paces.”

 

“Okay, first of all,” Iris began, raising a finger, “that is not how my powers work at all, which I’m incredibly grateful for. Second of all,” she raised a second finger, “people who hang around me and my dad learn to talk around the truth pretty quickly. These days Barry does it without even thinking.”

 

“I do?”

 

“Yeah, but it doesn’t matter because you’re a terrible liar.”

 

“She’s right, you’ve got really obvious tells,” Snart added, making Barry gape at him.

 

“How do you even know that, you barely know me?”

 

“I pay attention.”

 

“And thirdly,” Iris cut back in, “Caitlin is so deep in denial she’s scuba diving.”

 

“Caitlin likes Mick?” Barry exclaimed, cowering in his seat when the librarian shushed him from seven aisles over.

 

“You’re sure?” Leonard demanded.

 

“Oh yeah,” Iris affirmed, grinning. “They had a Moment. There was literal steam.”

 

“Tell me everything,” Leonard ordered with an intense gleam in his eye. Barry wasn’t sure if he was just very dedicated to his fact-finding mission or genuinely enjoying the gossip. Quickly, Iris recounted the earlier scene in the hallway, and Barry found himself becoming oddly invested in the narrative.

 

“So there’s definitely something there?” Leonard asked once she was done. Both Iris and Barry nodded confidently. “I was hoping for something a little more concrete, but you know your friend so I’m gonna trust your word on this.” It was interesting how Snart managed to make his admission of trust sound like a warning not to abuse it. He scrutinised them carefully. “She gonna have any issues with the, uh, ‘villain’ connection?” he asked carefully. Both Barry and Iris snorted at that.

 

“She hangs out with us, Snart,” Barry pointed out. “I think she can handle it.”

 

“True, but your father was acquitted,” Leonard countered. “And your father,” he turned to Iris, “has spent the last fifteen years making amends for what your mother did. Our parents,” he grimaced, “consider open warrants a badge of honour.”

 

“Well, yeah but it doesn’t take much for Caitlin to look past stuff like that. He’s already defied her expectations, now she’s intrigued. She’ll want to get to know him, want to see what he’s hiding under the ‘dumb grunt’ persona. Yes, I know he’s smarter than he lets on,” Iris added in response to Leonard’s surprised raised eyebrow. “When we’re in class, every other word out of his mouth pings my radar.”

 

“Hmm, good to know.” Leonard leaned back in his seat, looking thoughtful. “So. Mick likes Caitlin. Caitlin likes Mick.”

 

“What are we gonna do about it?” Iris drawled gleefully.

 

“We?” Leonard repeated, eyebrows raised.

 

“Yeah, we?” Barry echoed. “Why do we have to do anything?”

 

Iris rolled her eyes. “Because they sat next to each other for an hour and exchanged exactly two words. Trust me, they are gonna need our help.”

 

“She’s not wrong,” Leonard admitted. “But what are we supposed to do?”

 

Iris sighed in exasperation. “We create opportunities,” she stated like it was obvious. “Opportunities for Caitlin to get to know Mick and for Mick to get it together and ask her out already.”

 

“Why do I get the feeling you’ve already got an idea?” Leonard asked suspiciously. Iris bit her lip.

 

“Well, I do...but you’re probably not gonna like it.”

* * *

 

Leonard left their table with his head reeling, a thousand cogs spinning as he calculated variables and mapped contingencies. With their help, this just might work, assuming they were right about Caitlin. And if Len had to spend a little more time around them than usual, well, that was his problem. If this was what it took to support his best friend, then so be it. He was so preoccupied by these thoughts, he didn’t see Mick until he almost ran into him in the doorway.

 

“There you are,” Mick grunted, frowning. “The hell you doin’ in the library?”

 

“Recon,” Len deflected, but Mick’s eyes had already moved past him to the pair still seated inside who were doing a terrible job of pretending not to watch their exchange. Mick looked back at Len with a knowing smirk.

 

“Oh.” The word was laced with more suggestion and innuendo than such a short word had any business carrying. “Have a cosy little study session, didja?”

 

“Bout as cosy as yours was with Snow,” Len snapped back, internally thanking his superhuman physiology for making it almost impossible for him to blush.

 

Mick just snorted in derision as they made their way down the hall. “Give me shit for Snow all you want, but you’ve been pining after those two since they kicked our asses at Save the Citizen two years ago. And you know what they say about glass houses.”

 

“I don’t pine,” Len denied with a roll of his eyes. “I just..appreciate their challenge as rivals.” Mick and Len had been undefeated until Barry and Iris beat them that first time, and ever since the two pairs had trading turns kicking the other off the top spot.

 

“Whatever,” Mick grunted, seeing right through Len’s protests, as always. “Just ask one of ‘em out already.”

 

“I could say the same about you and Snow,” Len pointed out, smirking as he found himself with a golden opportunity. “In fact, why don’t we make a deal?”

 

Mick side-eyed him. He had some experience with Len’s deals. “Go on.”

 

“If I convince Barry or Iris to go out with me, you have to find your spine and ask Caitlin.”

 

Mick snorted. “Deal. You’ll never do it.”

 

Len opened his locker, hiding his smile behind the door. “I guess we’ll see, won’t we?”

 

Leonard loved this plan, he found himself thinking a few days later.

 

“I hate this plan,” he drawled quietly. Iris just smirked smugly at him.

 

“Liar,” she sang softly. He rolled his eyes at her and made a valiant effort not to think about their current proximity.

 

“It’s too sudden,” he insisted in a whisper. Iris huffed and he felt the little gust of warm air against his clavicle. “She’s gonna be suspicious.”

 

“No, she’ll be ecstatic and supportive. Now, stop looming, you’re supposed to be flirting with me, not shaking me down for my lunch money.”

 

“Bossy,” Len drawled with a smirk, but dutifully relaxed his stance. “And I’m pretty sure everyone here knows you could break me in half with your pinky if I even thought about trying that.”

 

“Well, super strength does have it’s perks,” Iris quipped with a wicked smile. She got a grip on his lapel and pulled him down so their faces were inches apart.

 

“So I see,” Len murmurred, swallowing. “Somebody’s committed.” This close, their noses were almost touching, their breath mingling in an unwelcome reminder of how easy it would be to kiss her right now. Out of the corner of his eye, Len could see Barry blushing as red as his shirt.

 

“We half-ass this, and she _will_ be suspiscious.”

 

“I still don’t get why you think she’ll be happy about it.”

 

“ _Oh my god it’s happening!”_ Even though the exclamation was trying to be hushed, Len recognised Caitlin’s excited voice behind him.

 

“Told you.”

 

“I see. And why does it sound like she expected something like this?”

 

Iris’s cheeks flushed a little, the first outward sign she'd given that she wasn't utterly composed and collected. Len filed the information away for later.

 

“Never mind that. So are you gonna kiss me or not?”

 

“It’ll be cold,” he warned her, internally berating himself for stalling. As much as he was enjoying their proximity, this wasn't quite how he wanted this to happen. Still, they were committed now, there would be no backing out.

 

“I like the cold,” Iris assured him in a sultry purr and damn if that wasn't something he'd always secretly hoped to hear. He refused to let her see the full effect she was having on him.

 

Kissing Iris West was just as incredible as he imagine. Her lips were soft and pliant, deliciously hot against his cold skin. There was also something distinctly thrilling about knowing she could literally toss him across the room if she wanted to, but was letting him put his hands on her waist, letting him deepen the kiss without even a hint of protest.

 

“Son of a bitch!”

 

Len smirked against Iris’s mouth at the exclamation signalling Mick’s arrival. Iris broke their kiss but didn't pull away from his hold.

 

“Got a problem, Rory?” she challenged with an arched brow.

 

Mick growled in his throat in frustration and glanced fleetingly in Caitlin's direction.

 

“No,” he grumbled. “Just thought you were dating Red, that's all.”

 

“Why does everybody think that?” Barry asked rhetorically, rolling his eyes theatrically.

 

Leonard wasn't fooled. He'd seen the way Barry looked at Iris, knew exactly why everyone just assumed they were a thing. Mick just arched a brow at Barry, giving the stupid question all the respect it deserved. The bell rang, motivating the small crowd that had stopped to watch the spectacle to hustle along to their next class. Iris smiled coyly up at Leonard and he felt his heart jackhammer in his chest. He tried to tamp down on the feeling, reminding himself that she was only doing this as a favour to her friend. The thought did little to smother the enjoyment he got from having look at him like he was the best thing on the menu. She yanked him into another kiss and damn he’d had no idea how hot it was to have a woman strong enough to just manhandle him like that. She slipped her hands up around his neck and he felt strangely protected and warm, a novel sensation for him. He took what liberties he could while they were on offer, sliding his hands down from her waist to cup her perfect ass, watching through his lashes as Barry tracked the movement, his eyes wide and his lips parted. It was almost like he was enjoying watching Leonard touch Iris, but he dismissed that thought immediately. There was no way Barry was happy to see a Rogue getting his hands on the girl he’d been in love with his whole life.

 

Iris broke the kiss, but her arms stayed around his neck. Their eyes met, and while that conspiratorial spark was still there, there was something soft about her expression that made Len’s stomach do a backflip. She bit her lower lip and smiled shyly up at him, the confident young powerhouse replaced by a nervous teenager.

 

“See you after class?” she asked hopefully, and for just a moment Len let himself believe that hope was real.

 

“Count on it,” he purred, slipping out of her hold and hoping he successfully hid his reluctance. He turned away and looked right at Mick, shooting him an unapologetic challenging smirk. Mick glowered back, but Len saw his eyes flicked over to Caitlin one last time as he turned to walk with Leonard.

 

“How long do I have?” Mick grumbled under his breath, looking more like a man heading to a firing squad than being challenged to ask out his crush. Leonard tilted his head and thought for a moment, purposefully letting Mick stew.

 

“I’ll tell you what; it took me three days, but I had a choice. You get a week.”

 

“A week,” Mick repeated, and Leonard could see how relieved he was by the lenient timeframe. “What if I don't get a good chance in a week.”

 

“Oh, I’m sure something will come up,” Leonard assured him innocently. If he extended the time period because he would get to spend more time with certain people, no one needed to know.

* * *

Iris and Leonard were very committed, Barry thought to himself. It seemed to be turning into a convoluted game of Chicken, each pushing the other just a little bit further to see how far they would allow it to go. Which was how Barry had found himself sharing a seat on the bus with Leonard, the other boy’s cool body pressed against his side with Iris nestled securely in his lap, his hands on her hips holding her tightly as the bus flew back down to earth. The bus driver hadn't even cared she didn't have a seatbelt, he’d just rolled his eyes and muttered to himself about lovestruck teenagers.

 

Leonard had even gotten off at their stop, Iris pulling him along by the hand as he gave Mick a sly wink. Iris didn't let go of Len’s hand even after the bus had driven away. Wally gave Leonard a suspicious side-eye, but just headed towards home without comment, leaving the older three standing at the bus stop.

 

“So that went well,” Len deadpanned, smirking at both Barry and Iris.

 

“Better than expected, actually,” Iris agreed, a giddy grin on her face.

 

“Yeah, you guys really sold it,” Barry added. He was aiming for encouraging, but to his own ears it came out too breathy. Watching the two of them making out had been something of a revelation for Barry, and an awkward one at that. He was rather looking forward to shutting himself in his room and spending some quality time figuring out that particular revelation.

 

Leonard looked at him intently, as though Barry had said something he couldn't quite figure out. He cleared his throat a little awkwardly.

 

“Well, I’ll see you two tomorrow,” he said, dropping Iris's hand and clearly about to head off.

 

“Actually, I wanted to talk about our next move,” Iris interjected quickly. “Why don't you come over for a bit?”

 

Leonard blinked at her in surprise, clearly taken aback by the offer. He licked his lips as he hesitated, thinking her offer over.

 

“Sure,” he said finally, shrugging. “My dad’ll be jealous I got to see the inside of the Griffin's house.”

 

Barry frowned at the reminder of who exactly Leonard's father was, but Iris didn't seem fazed at all.

 

“Well, be prepared to be wowed by his collection of novelty Christmas mugs and the smell of Barry and Wally's sneakers all over the house.”

 

“Hey, I’m not that bad!” Barry squawked. “I put my sneakers away!”

 

“Yeah, when you remember,” Iris scoffed, making Barry blush a little in embarrassment. Leonard just quirked one judging eyebrow at him as he joined them walking towards their house.

 

Leonard did look around curiously when they stepped inside.

 

“You weren't kidding about the mugs,” he commented, looking pointedly at one particular cabinet.

 

“He gets new ones every year,” Barry explained helpfully, he and Iris both dumping their bags.

 

Leonard's eyes strayed to the many and varied photographs littering the walls and the mantlepiece, something shuttering behind his eyes. He turned, glancing over at Iris, and Barry noticed the way his hand tightened on his bag strap nervously.

 

“Earlier today,” he began slowly, pausing to  clear his throat, “I, uh, I’m sorry. If I went to far,” he clarified.

 

“Don't sweat it, Len,” Iris played it off with a shrug and an understanding smile. “Nothin’ I didn't agree to and it's all for a good cause.” She headed towards the kitchen. “I’m gonna make tea, you guys want anything?”

 

Both boys politely declined, and now found themselves awkwardly standing around the living room, staring at each other.

 

“You don't have to worry, you know,” Barry assured, breaking the silence as he flopped down on the couch. He gestured towards the armchair, silently offering the seat. “If you do anything she doesn't like, she _will_ let you know. Loudly. Possibly painfully.”

 

Leonard snorted, gingerly settling into the armchair, his bag in arm's reach at his feet.

 

“Good to know,” he drawled. “Although,” he added thoughtfully, his eyes studying Barry carefully, “it’s not just her lines I'm worried about crossing.” His tone was pointed and Barry paled.

 

“Oh, uh, you don't have to... it's not, I mean I know everyone thinks it is, but it's not like that. At all.”

 

Leonard looked sceptical. Barry tried not to squirm under his piercing gaze.

 

“Because you don't want it to be, or because you've never asked?”

 

Barry just gaped at the bald question. His jaw worked up and down as he tried and failed to find a response. Leonard sighed.

 

“Look, there's a reason I was surprised when Iris suggested this. I don’t wanna step on any toes,” Leonard explained, “or get in anybody’s way.”

 

“No! I mean, no, you’re not, you’re not in the way,” Barry assured him hurriedly, “Anybody’s way. No, you, you are...fine.” And damn it, that came out way too breathy and did not at all sound like the sentiment Barry had been going for. And now he couldn't stop thinking about just how fine Leonard was. “Fine, where you are, I mean.”

 

“That made no sense, whatsoever,” Leonard deadpanned after just looking at him blankly for a moment.

 

“What made no sense?” Iris asked absently as she returned with her steaming mug of tea.

 

“Barry,” Leonard said simply, as though that was answer enough. Apparently it was, because Iris just laughed as she sat down on the couch with Barry.

 

“You get used to it,” she teased, nudging Barry with her elbow. “Oh! Did you guys hear about that fight between Batman and Catman?”

 

Barry was immensely grateful for the shift in conversation and soon they had gotten into a lively debate about battle tactics and the differences calibre of tech vs level of skill could have on a fight. It was distracting just watching Iris and Len going back and forth, the both of them getting more animated and passionate as the debate went on. Their eyes were bright and they leaned towards each other making gestures that got more expansive and expressive over time. Barry was getting just as into the discussion as they were, surprised when Leonard’s technical knowledge rivalled his own, yet immensely enjoying getting to discuss it with someone who didn’t just roll their eyes at him or get lost in the jargon. It was during Leonard’s in-depth analysis of everything Abra Kadabra did wrong when he went up against the Green Lantern that Barry came to the realisation that he was well and truly screwed. It didn’t take much introspection after all to know that the reason he enjoyed watching Iris and Len together was because he was now nursing a crush on both of them.

 

All three of them jumped when the front door opened and Joe walked in, pausing at the sight of a strange teenager in his house. He frowned when recognition set in.

 

“Hi Dad!” Iris greeted him brightly, her eyes flicking back and forth between Leonard and her father, “This is Leonard Snart. He’s one of our classmates.”

 

“I know who he is,” Joe answered mildly, his eyes never leaving Leonard. Of course Joe knew who Leonard was. The battle between the Griffin and Icicle had been legendary. “Just wondering what he’s doing here.”

 

“We’re doing a group project,” Leonard supplied smoothly, “We’re working to create a team-up with complimentary power sets and knowledge bases.” His expression was schooled into a bland, polite mask, leaving nothing for Joe to read and, technically, no lies for him to pick up on.

 

“Okay,” Joe said slowly after a long moment. “Well, if you’re staying for dinner, I’ll get an extra steak outta the freezer.”

 

“Oh, that’s not necessary,” Leonard assured him, standing and putting his bag over his shoulder. “I was just about to go.”

 

“You don’t have to,” Iris and Barry found themselves saying at the same time. Both Leonard and Joe’s eyebrows raised at that, but Leonard politely declined.

 

“It’s getting late, I should really get home,” he said, heading for the door.

 

“You’re dad isn’t picking you up, is he?” Joe asked suddenly, understandably concerned about his adversary knowing where he lived.

 

“No, sir, he’s still in prison, where you left him,” Len assured him pleasantly. “Thanks for that, by the way.” He looked to Iris and Barry as he grabbed the door handle. “See you tomorrow.”

 

The sound of the door closing rang through the now quiet house.

 

“Huh,” Joe huffed after a long moment, “Never thought that if I ever met Lewis’s kid, he’d thank me and actually mean it.”

 

“Guess villains make crappy parents,” Iris said thoughtfully.

* * *

“This is going to be interesting,” Leonard drawled as he parked himself between Iris and Barry at their table. Iris automatically leaned against him and he slipped one arm around her waist.

 

“Oh, Captain Cold sits with us now?” Cisco asked with disdain, one eyebrow quirked.

 

“Got a problem, Ramon?” Leonard asked breezily. He snatched a twizzler off Cisco’s tray, making him squawk in protest, and bit into it, clearly challenging him. Iris couldn’t help but notice the way Barry watched Len toy with the bright red candy between his teeth.

 

“Play nice, Len,” Iris admonished, giving Len a pointed look. Leonard met her eyes for a moment, as though he was carefully considering if it was worth disobeying her. She just stared back, refusing to back down. Iris may have been committed to this charade, but that didn’t mean she would just stand by and let him push her friends around.

 

“Sorry. Old habits,” Len conceded finally with a shrug, offering Cisco his twizzler back.

 

“You bit it, I don’t want it now,” Cisco grumbled. Len just shrugged and took another bite. “And what’s going to be interesting?”

 

Leonard smirked and didn’t answer straight away. He just looked to his left just as a tray dropped onto the table with a loud smack, and Mick Rory dropped into the seat between Barry and Caitlin.

 

“You’re an asshole,” Mick growled at Len with a dark glower, before digging into his food without looking at anyone else. Len looked back at Cisco, still smirking.

 

“That,” he replied simply.

 

“Oh, the Rogues are sitting with us now?” Cisco asked, his eyes wide in disbelief.

 

“More like you’re sitting with us,” Hartley Rathaway corrected as he slipped into the seat between Cisco and Caitlin, the rest of the empty spots at the table quickly filling with Len’s crew. Hartley gave Len an unimpressed look. “You have terrible taste,” he accused. To everyone’s surprise, Iris smiled broadly at him. She’d heard the lie for what it was.

 

“Aw, thanks Hartley,” she said warmly. He bristled uncomfortably, taken aback by her response.

 

“Look’s like she’s got your number, Hart,” Shawna Baez teased with a laugh from her spot on Mark Mardon’s lap, clearly approving.

 

Leonard smirked proudly at Iris and she had to ignore the sudden flutter of butterflies in her stomach. This was getting out of hand. She’d always found Leonard attractive, but things had gotten so much worse since they’d started this ruse. Now, she knew he was smart and funny, a devoted friend and a great kisser. Now, she felt giddy every time he looked at her, got excited when she felt his cool touch. Much to her own chagrin, she had a full-blown crush and she was pretty sure she wasn’t the only one. Barry’s eyes tracked Leonard whenever they were in the same room, like the other boy was a magnet that he couldn’t help but being attracted to. At first Iris thought the way Barry had watched them interact was a side effect of his crush on her. She had known about that for a while, she just hadn’t figured out how she felt about it yet. But seeing the way Barry watched her and Leonard together, not with jealousy but yearning, she found herself wanting to reach out and pull him in. She wondered sometimes if Leonard was having the same inclination, the way he kept glancing at Barry, as though he was searching for something.

 

“Did you do the History readings?” Caitlin asked Mick, clearly looking to make conversation. Mick grunted, glancing up first at all the Rogues around the table and then at her. Iris figured he was weighing up whether or not it was worth sticking to his usual ‘dumb grunt’ schtick or actually being himself for Caitlin.

 

“Yeah, ‘course,” he answered finally, “Chronos’s Betrayal. Almost all bullshit.”

 

“Actually, I was hoping to ask you about that,” Caitlin said, relaxing a little now that she had his attention. He looked up in mild surprise. “I mean, he was your grandfather, wasn’t he?”

 

Mick nodded.

 

“So you must know a lot about what really happened on that mission? I mean, all the official accounts came from the ship’s captain, which seems a little strange when there was an AI on board that would have been easily able to supply an accurate record of events and none of the rest of the crew ever officially weighed in on what happened. All we have is stuff coloured by the captain’s point of view. So, I was wondering how you’d feel about discussing Chronos’s side of the story?”

 

“Uh, sure,” Mick agreed, “Might take a while. He used to rant about it a lot when he’d been drinkin’. I spent years thinkin’ the captain’s name was actually Captain Asshole.”

 

Caitlin laughed, her bright smile making Mick’s own lips curl up in response. Iris fought the urge not to squeal in delight. Instead, she squeezed Leonard’s hand under the table and he squeezed back. She could see him smirking out of the corner of her eye and she and Barry shared a conspiratorial glance.

 

“Great, meet me in the library during study period?”

 

“Uh, yeah, okay,” Mick agreed, looking a little dazed.

 

“Okay, who are you and what have you done with Mick Rory?” Mark demanded from the other side of the table. “Since when are you into history?”

 

“Fuck off, Mardon,” Mick growled, glaring across the table.

 

“Y’know, maybe you should take a leaf out of Mick’s book,” Hartley drawled, “since you’re failing History.”

 

“Fuck you, Hart,” Mark grumbled.

 

From there, lunch continued to be a rowdy affair, but Mick and Caitlin’s little display seemed to have inspired the others to at least attempt to get along. Cisco and Hartley did end up snarling at each other about some sci fi show, but both Barry and Len assured her that both boys were in fact enjoying the discussion immensely. Iris just kept half an eye on Mick and Caitlin, who were holding a quiet, if hesitant conversation down their end of the table. Things were definitely looking like they were on track.

* * *

“Think he’ll do it?” Barry whispered.

 

“I’d say it’s 50/50,” Leonard answered.

 

“It definitely won’t happen if they notice us,” Iris pointed out.

 

“They won’t,” Len scoffed, “they’re way too busy staring at each other.”

 

“Holy shit did she just make Mick laugh?” Barry whispered incredulously.

 

“She did,” Len confirmed, sounding impressed.

 

“That’s good, a lot of people don’t really get her humour,” Iris commented.

 

“You guys do know that if anyone comes along, we all look super creepy, right?” Barry couldn’t help but point out. The three of them were hunched over side by side, peering through the gaps in the shelves to watch their friends. Next to him, Len snorted, clearly struggling to hold in his laughter, Iris sniggering on Barry’s other side.

 

“You guys do look super creepy.”

 

All three conspirators whirled around at the unexpected fourth whisper.

 

“I knew it!” Cisco continued in a hushed voice as he put his bag down with theirs. “I knew there was something going on! There is no way Iris would actually date Snart!”

 

“Yes, I would!” Iris countered indignantly, blushing furiously when her own words registered. She very carefully did not look at Len, who had definitely been surprised by her admission.

 

“But you’re not?” Cisco confirmed. The three under his judging look shifted uncomfortably.

 

“It may have been a little staged,” Iris finally relented, “but it’s for a good cause!”

 

“Snart’s not exactly what I’d call a charity case,” Cisco said dubiously. Len rolled his eyes.

 

“That’s not what she meant.” He gripped Cisco by the back of his neck and pulled him down to peer through the gaps. “Look!”

 

“HO-”

 

Leonard swiftly put a hand over Cisco’s mouth to silence him, glaring daggers at the other boy. Cisco scowled and ripped Len’s hand away.

 

“Holy shit, Caitlin’s kissing Mick!” he exclaimed, although in a whisper this time.

 

“What?” Iris gasped, her, Len and Barry hurrying to peek again. Just as Cisco had said, Caitlin had her hands cradling Mick’s jaw, kissing him. “ _Oh my god it’s happening!”_ Iris wheezed, squeezing Barry’s arm and making him wince at her strength.

 

“I guess that’s mission accomplished,” Barry admitted, some of his reluctance bleeding into his tone. It had only been a week, but already he felt like he was going to miss Len’s presence. Leonard also seemed suddenly subdued at the thought that the game was over.

 

“We’ll need to keep things up for a while,” Iris pointed out, biting her lip, “y’know, so people don’t get suspicious.”

 

“Because you guys suddenly dating was not at all suspicious,” Cisco muttered sarcastically.

 

“I figure we give it a week?” Len replied, “help them along through the start, I guess.”

 

“Okay,” Iris agreed, the word almost sounding like a sigh. “Guess we’ll have to think of a good reason to break up.”

 

“I’m sure you’ll think of something,” Cisco told her, giving Leonard a condescending glance. “I don’t know about you guys, but I’m gonna get out of here before the librarian finds those two making out.” He grabbed his bag and left, leaving the other three to reluctantly follow suit.

 

“See ya,” Leonard dismissed them curtly, looking like he couldn’t wait to get away. Barry and Iris watched him go.

 

“So,” Barry said after a time. “I guess we did it.” They headed out of the library. “Are you gonna miss dating Len?” The teasing question was meant to lighten the mood, but Iris didn’t smile. Instead, she wrapped her arms around her middle.

 

“I think I am,” Iris answered truthfully. “It’s weird. Being with him wasn’t at all like I imagined it would be.”

 

“You know, I think if you asked, he’d be up for making it real,” Barry said, unsure as to why his heart was suddenly racing. Iris stopped in the hallway to look at him, her eyes searching his face as she thought.

 

“I think,” she began, biting her lips as she paused to find her courage, “that if I did ask...there might be one little condition he’d have to agree to first.”

* * *

 

Knock! Knock!

 

The best part of being a cold-based metahuman was definitely the inability to sweat, Leonard thought as he paced on the West family’s front porch. He and Iris were supposed to be performing their break-up tomorrow, and planning it was ostensibly why he was here. Iris had kept putting it off and Leonard had happily gone with it, not wanting to think about the inevitable end to their little fantasy. It didn’t help that something had shifted between them. Iris and Barry kept looking at him all week with an odd sort of anticipation, like they were waiting for him to do something. Barry had blushed every time Leonard addressed him, and Iris had stepped up the flirting, even when there was no one around they needed to perform for. It made him nervous, like he’d missed something obvious, and that combined with the impending break up to make him miserable. Now the time had come to man up and he just wanted to end his suffering, one way or another.

 

Finally, the door was answered. Wally West stood on the other side, a sandwich in one hand and a look of apathy on his face.

 

“Hi,” Leonard greeted him, trying to maintain his cool. “I’m here to see-”

 

“Iris and Barry?” Wally finished for him. Leonard got the distinct impression that the freshman was judging him right now. “They’re upstairs.” He stepped back from the doorway so that Leonard could pass. “Second door on the right.”

 

Leonard nodded curtly and headed for the stairs.

 

“And, Leonard? Just remember that my dad has super-strength and I’m a speedster. You hurt either of them and you’re toast.”

 

Leonard didn’t get a chance to respond to that before Wally was striding away into the living room. Leonard shook his head and continued up the stairs, firmly deciding that telling Wally the truth about their arrangement would be definite prerequisite to the break-up.

 

He heard the soft sounds of conversation through the door Wally had directed him to. With a fortifying breath, he knocked. It was answered almost immediately by Barry, who was practically crackling with nervous energy.

 

“You’re here!” he exclaimed. “Come in!”

 

Squaring his shoulders like a soldier going into battle, Leonard followed Barry into his room. Iris was perched on the corner of his bed, a nervous smile on her face. Leonard tried not to think too hard about the fact that he was standing in Barry Allen’s bedroom, alone with the only two people he could say he’d ever had a serious crush on. Barry offered him the desk chair so Len took it, expecting Barry to sit with Iris. Instead he remained standing, fidgeting with his fingers.

 

“So, we need to talk about, well, breaking up,” Iris began hesitantly.

 

“Yeah,” he agreed, taking a deep breath. It was now or never. If Mick could do it, so could he. “That’s Plan B, anyway.”

 

“Plan B?” Barry interjected, frowning. “Then what’s Plan A?”

 

“Well,” Len continued, his eyes fixed on Iris’s unexpected grin. “I figure these last couple of weeks have been…”

 

“Great?” Iris supplied. Len licked his dry lips.

 

“Yeah, that works,” he admitted. “So, since things have been...great, I was thinking that, maybe, there’s no reason this really has to end.”

 

“I happen to agree,” Iris answered, her smile blinding. Len matched it, his stomach doing somersaults and he didn’t think he’d felt this warm since he got his powers.

 

“But there is one teeny, tiny little caveat.”

 

Len’s smile dimmed, and for some reason his eyes flicked over to Barry, who was watching the pair of them and chewing on his thumbnail.

 

“Oh?” was all he could say through the sudden knot in his gut. Iris opened her mouth to answer, but Barry interrupted suddenly.

 

“Iris, wait, don’t. This is stupid, there’s no way he’ll agree. He wants you, there’s no nee-”

 

“And what about what I want, Barry?” Iris cut him off firmly. “Or what you want? I told you this was my condition. All we can do is ask, and figure out where to go from there.” Iris turned back to Leonard, looking him square in the eye.

 

“Len, I want to go out with you. But only if you agree to date Barry too.”

 

Leonard was speechless.

 

“Iris!” Barry hissed, blushing deeply and mortified, “you didn’t say you were gonna ask him like _that_!”

 

“Well, I have now, so there’s no backing down now,” Iris responded with an unrepentant shrug, her eyes on Leonard who was just sitting there with a stunned look on his face. “So? What do you say?”

 

“Let me get this straight,” he managed to speak finally, because there was no way he was going to allow any miscommunication to potentially ruin this. “You want to date me, but only if I also date somebody else?”

 

“Who I would also be dating,” Iris clarified with a nod.

 

“Oh, that makes more sense,” he murmured. He leaned back on the desk chair and crossed his arms, smirking. “Okay.”

 

“Really?” Barry asked, apparently utterly floored by Len’s easy agreement.

 

“You’re sure?” Iris added. “And if you’re agreeing, it needs to be because you want to date Barry, not just because he’s the only way to date me.”

 

Leonard huffed a chuckle. “Let me put it this way; when we came up with this plan, it was 50/50 whether I agreed to fake date you, or him.”

 

“Wow, really? I had no…” Barry trailed off, his eyes widening as Leonard smoothly got to his feet.

 

“So, do you want to date me, Barry?” he purred, sauntering across the room. Barry bit his lip and nodded. “Good, because there’s something I’ve been wanting to do for a while, and well, it’s only fair.”

 

“Wha-” Barry was but off as Leonard kissed him. His lips were hot and eager beneath Leonard’s, his quick hands getting with the program to pull Leonard in closer until their bodies aligned, the heat and the press glorious and heady. When Leonard broke the kiss, Barry chased his lips for half a second before he caught himself.

 

“Iris already had a taste. Seemed only fair you knew what you were getting into,” Leonard told him nonchalantly, their bodies still pressed together.

 

“I think she undersold it, actually,” Barry responded, a little dazed.

 

“Oh, this was a great idea,” Iris said breathily from right next to them, having also risen to her feet. She hooked a hand around, Leonard’s neck to pull him down into a hard kiss of her own, which felt somehow better than their earlier kisses simply because he knew she legitimately enjoyed it. She pulled away to do the same to Barry, the three of them now in a circle of arms as they exchanged kisses that got more and more heated. Leonard wasn't quite sure how they all ended up on Barry's bed, but he wasn't complaining. Things may have progressed even further if they hadn’t heard a shout from downstairs.

 

“Kids, I’m home!”

 

“Iris has a boy upstairs!”

 

“WHAT?!”

 

“I am gonna kill Wally!” Iris muttered darkly. She pointed out the window. “Barry, get him outta here!”

 

When Joe burst into the room it was to find Barry and Iris casually sitting around doing homework, blinking up at him with innocent eyes.

 

“Wally said you had a boy up here,” he accused.

 

“I do,” Iris answered mildly, “his name is Barry, I think you’ve met.”

 

Joe stomped back downstairs, muttering about damn kids nearly giving him a heart attack, entirely unaware of the shirtless teenager sniggering on his roof.

**Author's Note:**

> In case anyone is wondering, Joe has super-strength and lie detection powers, both of which Iris inherited. Wally got his speedster powers because Francine was taking V9 even while pregnant to give herself speed, and it was her addiction that led to her downfall.


End file.
